Protective garment

ABSTRACT

A protective garment for facilitating protection of the neck and chest of a user against cold weather and the like, wearable under an outer garment, which is easily donned or removed, and does not unduly interfere with appearance or function of other garments or the maneuverability of a user.

United States Patent y 1 1 July 16,1974

15 1 PROTECTIVE GARMENT 1,299,582 4/ 191;

, 9 9 [76] Inventor: Bertha L. Qluckey, 5805 N. 16th St. 31 No, 9, Arlington, Va. 22205 2,468841 5/1949 x 3,093,830 6/1963 [22] filed Jan- 1973 3,360,802 1/1968 Kasamatsu 2/91 X Appl. No.; 322,248

[52] US. Cl. 2/91 [51] Int. Cl ..A41d 1/04 [58} Field of Search 2/49 R, 50, 51, 52,90, 2/91, 92, 102, 103, 118, 119, 127, 147; 128/425; 66/176 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 170,244 11/1875 Duke 2/119 985,44] 2/1911 Neuman 2/91 Primary Examiner-Werner H. Schroeder [57] ABSTRACT A protective garment for facilitating protection of the neck and chest of a user against cold weather and the like, wearable under an outer garment, which is easily donned or removed, and does not unduly interfere with appearance or function of other garments or the maneuverability of a user.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures 1 PROTECTIVE GARMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Garments to provide protection of a wearer against cold and primarily the neck and chest areas heretofore have principally consisted of sweaters, jackets, vests and the like, many of which are adapted for wearing under the usual outer coat or jacket and many of which have necessitated donning over the head of the user. Some such'garments have additionally been bulky and created interference with other articles of clothing or garments and further have interfered with maneuverability of a user. This latter is especially undesirable for persons involved in activities or work which requires substantially uninhibited use of arms, hands and the like. Many such prior garments have also been difficult to don or remove and when in use have detracted from neatness of appearance which is a drawback in many fields of work. such as police, military, etc.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective garment which overcomes these various drawbacks and in use gives optimum results of protection, ease of donning or removal, does not detract from appearance nor interfere with function of other garments or maneuverability of a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The protective garment of the present invention is primarily useful for protection of a user against cold weather and the like and can be rapidly and easily donned or removed without the necessity of placing over the head or arms of a user. The garment does not interfere with other articles of clothing nor does it interfere with functioning or operation of other garments nor create hindrances of maneuverability of a user.

Additional objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof when taken together with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a plan view of the protective garment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic, rear perspective view of the garment as worn by a user; and

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view fragmentarily showing a user with the donned garment.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, there is schematically shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 a user generally designated wearing the garment of the present invention generally designated 12, the users head 14, torso l6, and arms 18 being shown for orientation and mode of application and use.

The garment 12 consists of a central body portion'20 including a lower rectilinear shaped portion 22 and an upper inwardly tapering portion 24. A waistband portion 26 is included below lower portion 22 and is of a size adapted for easy encirclement about the waist of a user as shown in FIG. 2. A neckband portion 28 is incorporated in the garment at the top of the upper section or portion 24 adapted for encircling the neck of a user as shown in FIG. 2 and having appropriate dimensions in length and height to provide protection for a user's neck-and permit easy donning.

The entire garment is preferably of a knitted or woven textile construction to provide warmth for a user when donned, of sufficient softness and resilience as to be easily worn under outer garments and to negate insofar as possible interference with other garments, detract from a users appearance, or in any way substantially or unduly interfere with normal activities or maneuverability of the user.

In use, as will be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the body portion 20 protectively covers the chest of a user and partially extends under the users arms and partially covers the users back. In use, the neckband portion completely encircles a users neck which usually is exposed to the elements regardless of other garments, such as a coat or jacket, and the body portion protects that area of a user which can be exposed in gap areas of such outer garments.

It is essential that the garment be susceptible of easy and rapid donning or removal. To this end complex fastening 0r securing means are avoided. One type of attaching means which fulfills this requirement is known under the trade name Velcro which consists of patches or areas of short hair fiber or the like which extend outwardly from a base and which, when engaged in opposed directions with pieces of similar material, so interengage the fibers as to provide a secure and yet readily detachable fastening or connection between the two pieces and/or garments to which attached. Patches or segments of this type of material are indicated on the neckband at 30 and on the waistband at 32. Such Velcro fasteners, in addition to high efficiency when interengaged one with another, are also quite effective when engaged with a knitted or woven type of fabric.

The garment is easily donned by av user by placing the central body portion 20 over the chest and wrapping the two ends of the neckband 28 and waistband 26 about the users neck and body and interengaging the Velcro or the like fasteners 30 and 32 either one with another or interengaging in the material of the garment. The garment can be easily and quickly removed through separation of the so interengaged neck and waistband portions.

Manifestly, minor changes in details of construction can be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in and limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A protective textile garment comprising:

A. a main body portion adapted for at least partial coverage of the chest of a user, as well as the users back, said main body portion including a lower substantially rectangular shaped portion and an upper inwardly tapering portion, conjointly shaped and adapted for substantially covering a users chest and extending rearwardly below a users armpits and about an area of a users sides and back;

B. a neck encircling portion formed as an upper continuation of said main body portion shaped as an elongated band at the convergence of said inwardly tapering portion and adapted for encirclement of a users neck and including coactive fastening means proximate thefree ends of said band, the ends of said band defining the upper limits of said garment adjacent said inwardly tapering portion and being coextensive with said lower substantially rectangular shaped portion of said main body portion;

C. a waist encircling portion formed as a lower continuation of said main body portion and shaped as an elongated band adapted for encirclement of a users waist, so as to cover a users kidney portions and including coactive fastening means proximate the free ends of said band, said waist encircling portion and said neck encircling portion defining respectively the upper and lower limits of said garment and being parallel to each other. 

1. A protective textile garment comprising: A. a main body portion adapted for at least partial coverage of the chest of a user, as well as the user''s back, said main body portion including a lower substantially rectangular shaped portion and an upper inwardly tapering portion, conjointly shaped and adapted for substantially covering a user''s chest and extending rearwardly below a user''s armpits and about an area of a user''s sides and back; B. a neck encircling portion formed as an upper continuation of said main body portion shaped as an elongated band at the convergence of said inwardly tapering portion and adapted for encirclement of a user''s neck and including coactive fastening means proximate the free ends of said band, the ends of said band defining the upper limits of said garment adjacent said inwardly tapering portion and being coextensive with said lower substantially rectangular shaped portion of said main body portion; C. a waist encircling portion formed as a lower continuation of said main body portion and shaped as an elongated band adapted for encirclement of a user''s waist, so as to cover a user''s kidney portions and including coactive fastening means proximate the free ends of said band, said waist encircling portion and said neck encircling portion defining respectively the upper and lower limits of said garment and being parallel to each other. 